Dems celebrate “Sunshine Week” by … pushing Demon Pass

posted at 2:55 pm on March 17, 2010 by Ed Morrissey

In the Someone Left The Irony On Department, Nancy Pelosi has urged her colleagues in the House to get busy with transparent-government initiatives this week. Reid Wilson notes the jarring dissonance between holding up “the importance of open government” while trying to avoid taking a vote on ObamaCare using the deem-and-pass tactic, or what should be known as Demon Pass:

Today, the House takes up a measure requiring federal agencies to use simple language in writing official documents; a proposal to ensure e-mails are preserved by federal archivists; and a bill that would require members to use the money left in their annual office accounts to pay down the debt.

The good-government proposals come as GOPers cry foul over Pelosi’s suggestion the majority could use so-called “deem and pass” measures to force the Senate health care bill through the House without an actual vote.

“During Sunshine Week, which focuses on the importance of open government and freedom of information, Congress is taking action to make the government more accountable, transparent and responsive to the American people,” reads a fact sheet distributed to House Dems’ offices, and which was provided to Hotline OnCall by an incredulous Dem aide.

Not to take anything away from these proposals, which do little but nibble around the edges, but wouldn’t having members commit to a vote on controversial legislation create more sunshine than paying down debt from office accounts? The very nature of open government in a representative government requires that elected officials have accountability for the laws they pass. The social contract that binds constituents to these laws depends on that accountability. If we cannot hold our representatives individually and collectively responsible for passage of laws, then we have ceased being a free people and have entered into an autocratic form of bondage.

As far as those office accounts go, the leftover funds won’t pay a second’s interest on the national debt, not unless we’re budgeting a couple of billion dollars per office … which, given Congress’ spending proclivities, may come soon. If Pelosi wants to start working on the national debt, she can start by cutting back spending to 2007 levels, where Democrats took over from Republicans. This suggestion coming from a woman who has increased annual federal spending by over a trillion dollars a year within three years is beyond insulting to the intelligence. It’s self-parody.

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Not to take anything away from these proposals, which do little but nibble around the edges, but wouldn’t having members commit to a vote on controversial legislation create more sunshine than paying down debt from office accounts?

LOL! Ed’s trying for a second career as a stand up comic.

I’ve got another joke: For government sunshine week, wouldn’t it make sense to post legislation online so everyone can see it, before Congress votes on it?

Hows that rich hate working out? We sure fixed those awful wealthy people, didn’t we?
An appropriate cartoon would be our radical liberals in charge aiming a shotgun at the achievers in American and hitting everyone else instead.

Scapegoating a segment of society to get votes hasn’t been much of a benefit.
That’s because we’re all in this together, the economy is all relative, the warnings before the last election were correct, you don’t dip into a water trough and pour it into the other end and gain anything, in fact you lose every time you do it.

You don’t steal and redistribute, steal from the future, and gain at all, the reciprocity factor is in full effect.

For every government action there’s an opposite and equal corrupt reaction.

107 How about this as a weapon? Organized boycotts at businesses within the Congressman’s district.
Tea Party officials can organize boycotts of Target stores to get the Minnesota guy to vote no, for example.

With hundreds of millions of irate Americans, Tea Party organizers can get the word out and hit them where they live. Literally.

March 17, 2010
Code Red Moves Cardoza and Costa to “Yes” Votes on Gov’t Healthcare Takeover After Water Deal
——————————————————————————–

Is this Another Backroom Deal to Force Obama’s Bill Down the American People’s Throats?

As a vote approaches on Obama and Pelosi’s government takeover of healthcare, Code Red is now considering two supposedly “undecided” California Democrats, Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa, to now be “yes” votes.

The U.S. Department of Interior announced yesterday that it is increasing water allocations for the Central Valley of California, a region that depends on these water allocations to support local agriculture and jobs. The region has recently been starved for water and as a result unemployment has soared. Not surprisingly, Cardoza and Costa had a hand in the announcement:

The Democrats are turning America into a third world, banana republic. Dopey, transparent announcements from the politburo that screw the citizenry while pretending they don’t. Thanks, fearless leaders.

Call them now, and use their local numbers. Tell everyone you know to call them now! This is a fight for the soul and future of the United States of America; for the country we all love, and have inherited and preserved out of the blood and treasure of our forefathers.

Will the American citizens stand and fight as our great Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Guardsmen, and United States Marines, past and present, always stand and fight for our sacred liberty? This is a seminole moment in American history. We will live as one nation under God, or under government? Now is the time of decision! You must act now! Now is the time to let your voices be heard as never before. Where is the march on Washington? Where is the American spirit that never quits? Where is the American spirit that says “no” and “never again” to our enemies, and backs it up at all costs? Our soldiers are willing to die for this country’s preservation. Shall we not stand up on their behalf while they face bullets and bombs so we do not have to?

If you called already, call them again! If you have e-mailed them, do it again. If you have told your relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, tell them to call and email, and fax them again! Stop what you’re doing and do it now! Our great republic is at stake!

Think of your children; and do it for them. Look into their faces; and then pick-up the phone and get on your computer, and let them know, we are still Americans, and we will not accept tyranny from anyone – foreign or domestic. We will never surrender to state control of our lives. Tell them that when you call and email them. Tell them we are not socialists, and we will not live under it now or ever. Tell them like Churchill “We will fight them in the air; on the land; and on the seas. We will never surrender.” Call them now! E-mail them now! Fax them now! Let them feel the people’s power. Do it now!

Please, for the love of all that’s holy, give us a link when you say stuff like that! I can’t take this rollercoastering any more.

<can of worms>It’s like watching Terry Schiavo die all over again. Remember that? I spent hours of every day calling, faxing, praying… oscillating between hope and despair, raging at the lies, and in the end watching helplessly as everything we tried failed to save that innocent woman’s life.

That was a sore test of my faith. We’re taught that God always answers prayer and if you try hard enough, long enough, you will succeed. So what do you do when you give 100%, flat out, everything you’ve got, and you still fail? Where do you go from there?

Granted, there are many differences between the two situations. From the standpoint of faith, I think the significant one is this: Even though Terri was killed, I don’t believe that our prayers to God were in vain. God allowed Terri’s mortal life to end (for Terri’s soul was never in danger) as a wake-up call to the rest of us about what government interference in health care is capable of doing. That has direct bearing on the crisis we find ourselves in now. >/can of worms&rt;

While Costello remains a ‘no’ on the Senate legislation, he is undecided on how he will vote on the so-called reconciliation legislation that making alterations in the final health-care package. That bill is being negotiated now in an effort to secure the 216 House votes needed for passage.

El_Terrible on March 17, 2010 at 3:07 PM

Thanks. But if the Demoncrats are going with demon pass, they’ll only be voting on reconciliation. Slight of hand here by Costello.

Demon is right on. Isn’t it interestng that these devils are pushing this crapolla right before Christmas and now right before Easter. I wonder how many pieces of silver are being passed out for all those votes. Scum.

Someone posting above suggested those close to Obama should wear a wire. I’m sure this has been done many times. The inside info on this administration has to be gargantuan. Imagine the book deal someone could get by exposing all the corruption. It’ll happen. What’s surprising is the corruption in plain site and how the media is covering this communist bastard. There will be hell to pay. For what Commie Obamie has done to this country I hope he is impeached, convicted, and sentenced to 25 years for not upholding the Constitution. It’s the least he could do for screwing the American public as our first dictator. How’s the for precedent?

The House Republican whip team just held a conference call in which they said that the Democrats have 206 yes votes for the health care bill. They need 216 to pass it. There are currently 51 Democrats who are said to be undecided and the leadership can afford to lose 37 of them, which sounds like a pretty tough road for opponents of the bill (without the Stupak language on abortion, all Republicans are expected to vote no).

Chief Deputy Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) nevertheless said he felt this week had hurt Democratic vote-getting efforts somewhat. He argued that the Slaughter rule did not sit well with some wobbling Democrats and “will make the American people very angry” if the leadership actually tries to go through with it (McCarthy seemed to suggest they won’t). McCarthy said that usually when you talk about process, you lose but “this year, I think process does matter.” He said that the Scott Brown victory suggested that voters wanted the Democratic leadership to be more responsive than they have been during the health care debate.

Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.), a recent party-switcher from the Democratic Party, talked about some of the things the Democrats will do to whip their members. Griffith said they will “know your demographics,” “know how much cash you have on hand,” “know how popular Obama is and Pelosi is in your district,” and know if you want a “road project,” “medical school,” or “have a severe Medicaid shortage that needs to be shored up.” Griffith said that as a physician and former Democrat, “I saw firsthand that the Republicans had many good ideas that were ignored.”

Amspec blog.

I find the suggestion that they might drop Demonpass and go with a straight vote very interesting.

This suggestion coming from a woman who has increased annual federal spending by over a trillion dollars a year within three years is beyond insulting to the intelligence. It’s self-parody.

Let’s increase spending by over 25%,attempt to cut it 1%,….. then brag about how fiscally disciplined we are……

Let’s shut out Republicans,conduct negotiations behind closed doors,let lobbyist help craft the bills,not post them on line 5 days before they are voted on,not read them before we vote on them,eliminate the “bothersome problem” of voting on them by just shoving them through the back door……then brag about how transparent we are.

That’s all this is, and all this has ever been … remaking America in the Soviet image. Every single piece of dem legislation fulfills just a little bit more of FDR’s second bill of rights, which is nothing more than the Soviet “bill of rights”.

If they are going to do Deem and Pass, why don’t they have the balls to have single payer in the bill. Might as well go for it all. I don’t think they have the guts. If it passes, it will be by getting Democrat No votes switched to Yes by arm twisting and/or payoffs.

Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.), a recent party-switcher from the Democratic Party, talked about some of the things the Democrats will do to whip their members. Griffith said they will “know your demographics,” “know how much cash you have on hand,” “know how popular Obama is and Pelosi is in your district,” and know if you want a “road project,” “medical school,” or “have a severe Medicaid shortage that needs to be shored up.” Griffith said that as a physician and former Democrat, “I saw firsthand that the Republicans had many good ideas that were ignored.”
Amspec blog.

Wethal, I guess that we can safely assume that the unspent Porkulus money is being used for these “incentives” to push Dem votes for ObaMaoScare.

Well, I called all the Reps on SheetAnchor’s list except for Rep. Stupak, since he seems safe, plus my Congresscritter. Got a busy signal half the time. Should have been all the time! Get on the phones, people! :-)

All the staffers I talked to were polite. A few asked where I was calling from — I told them honestly. Two staffers said their Congressmen were planning to vote “No”, and I thanked them profusely. I won’t put their names here lest they come under extra pressure.

As for my worthless Congresscritter, Jane Harman, in November she said on her Web site that she was leaning No if the Stupak language were in. (“important to defend a woman’s right to choose…”, yada yada yada.) I was hoping this would translate to a No on the bill, but of course she’s caved. Her staffer told me she was planning to vote Yes. *SIGH* No great loss, though, as evidently the whip count has always including her in the Yes column.